Paper Mario: Destruction of the World
by Luigi Number 1 and Sonic 2
Summary: A sequel to Paper Mario 2. Peach is captured by an unknown person, and finds out about a plot of Bowser's to destroy the earth. Meet some new characters as well as old favorites as you read about Mario's quest to save the world! [CHAPTER 5 IS NOW UP]
1. A Note and a Plan

**Paper Mario: Destruction of the World   
**by Sonic 2 and Luigi Number 1

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**Authors' Notes**: Hello, and welcome to this story! : )Thanks for viewing! We'd just like to say a couple things before we begin. First of all, this story takes place after Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, so if you haven't completed it, read at your own risk; there are some spoilers. Second of all, Sonic 2 has a word to say: "PLEASE review!"

**Disclaimer**: All characters, except Exxohman, belong to Nintendo and so does the Paper Mario franchise and some concepts related to Paper Mario (such as the X-Nauts, etc.). The plot of this fanfic, however, was thought up by Sonic 2, and we will both be highly offended if you copy off of this fanfic or use any of Sonic 2's characters without permission.

**One Last Authors' Note**: If you're a little confused about who's writing what, let me explain. Sonic 2, my little brother, thought up the plot, and will continue to make up most of the things that happen. He tells me what happens, and I write it down--Sonic 2 is the plot-maker and I'm the writer. So, basically, it's a collaborative effort. Now, on with the story!

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**Chapter 1: A Note and a Plan**

It was a nice day in Princess Peach's Castle, which was located in the north side of Toad Town. Everybody was in a good mood, and the daily duties were going right on schedule.

Princess Peach was in her room (the make-up part of it), looking at herself in the mirror. Her personal servant, named Toad T., was watering the various flowers in her room.

"Toad T.?" said Peach, after she had finished brushing her hair and was checking herself over in the mirror. "I'm gonna spend some time outside, ok? I'll be back soon."

"Ok, Princess!" Toad T. replied cheerily.

Peach left her room, and entered the second level of the castle. The black-and-white checked floor had been freshly polished, and other Toad servants scurried around, finishing up their morning duties. Peach addressed the toad who was guarding her room. "I'm going to be outside; I won't be gone long."

"Acknowledged, Your Majesty," said the toad with a smile.

Peach raised her voice so all the servants could hear her. "The castle is looking splendid today! I really appreciate your commitment. Keep up the good work!"

With that, she entered the door to the first floor. Descending the staircase, she caught Tayce T., who was now working as the castle cook, as she was hurrying by. "Will lunch be ready soon, Tayce T.?" asked the Princess.

"Oh, yes, it's going very well, dear," replied the toad chef. "Expect it to be ready shortly!"

"Excellent!" said Peach. "I'll let you carry on."

Tayce T. hurried off to the kitchen.

Peach walked to the double-door entrance, and stepped outside. The two guards who were on duty greeted her. "Beautiful day, isn't it, Your Highness?"

"Off for a stroll, Your Majesty?"

"Yes and yes; it's a gorgeous day, and I _am _taking a little outing," Peach replied. "Expect me back soon!"

The first guard winked. "You got it, Your Princess-ness!"

The other guard called to her as she walked away, "Have a nice outing!"

Peach headed around to the back of her castle to her place in the Garden. She loved her garden because it was away from all the hustle and bustle of the castle--one of her favorite things to do was to spend time in it among the beautiful, multi-colored flowers, where it was serene and quiet. _Today it will be especially nice because of all the sunshine_, she thought happily as she glanced up at the cloudless, blue skies. She opened the small gate that led to her garden, and shut it behind her as she went in.

After a while, Peach decided it was time to leave. She had many things to do in the day, and she knew she couldn't be idle for too long. As she stepped outside, and turned to close the gate behind her, a shadow fell across her. The last thing she saw was a dark image , then she was knocked unconscious.

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When Peach awoke, she was in a small, square room built out of metal bricks, and there seemed to be no way out--there wasn't even a door! _Where... am... I?_ As Peach sat up, she felt her head throb faintly. _The last thing I remember was... waking up, and then going to my garden. How did I get here? What's going on?!_ It was then that she noticed a piece of paper laying on the floor. Curious, and because there was nothing else to do, she picked it up. This is what it said:

_"Go to the wall this paper is facing, and pull on the third brick up on the right side of the wall."_

_Well, there's nothing else I can do_, she reasoned.The Princess stood up, and walked to the wall the paper had been laying closest to. She saw that the brick the letter had said to pull stuck out a little from the rest of the bricks. With a little effort, she managed to pull it out.

She peered through the hole where the brick had been, and saw a long, wide room. There was something vaguely familiar about it... But what? Then, it came to her--this was the same room that Grodus had always dwelled in! Yes, there was the control panel, with the two double-doors on the other side! Peach's head cleared more, and the throbbing decreased. On the far side of the room was a throne, with lots of henchmen lined on either side of it. She gasped in shock: on the throne sat none other than Bowser!

Peach quickly drew back from the hole, hoping the Koopa King hadn't noticed her. _Bowser! What is he doing here?! I thought this place had been destroyed after that ordeal with Grodus and the X-Nauts... He must've rebuilt it... but why? And why am I here? Who brought me here?_

Peach took another look through the small, rectangular hole in the paper walls. Bowser sat in silence with a grumpy expression on his face, drumming his claws on the throne armrest. His chin was resting on his other paw. _He hasn't seemed to notice me yet... Does he even know I'm here?_

She looked over the lines of Goomba's, Koopa's, and Magikoopa's. She was surprised when she noticed an X-Naut standing among them. _A traitor of Grodus?_

The Koopa King began to speak. Peach listened eagerly, hoping that she'd hear something about his plans. "Attention, all henchmen--tonight, our plan has begun. I will allow Exxohman, second-in-command, to explain the plan. So you better listen!" His impatient growl echoed around the room. His followers stood to attention. _He's obviously not in a good mood_, thought Peach.

The X-Naut Peach had seen earlier stepped forward from the ranks of henchmen. Peach assumed he was Exxohman. "The Orb we obtained will destroy Earth in thirty days. Now, as you all know, we are safe here on the moon, in what used to be Grodus's secret base. But we repaired it-"

Bowser interrupted, trying to suppress his impatience. He spoke through clenched teeth. "They already know where we are--just get to the point."

"I was just explaining the point," said Exxohman. Then he quickly added, "Sir."

"Just go on!" Bowser roared.

Exxohman did. "Bowser just recently re-progammed TEC and made sure he wouldn't betray us. TEC is giving energy to the Orb. And, in thirty days, the Orb should have enough energy to destroy the earth!"

_Oh, no! I have to get out of here and warn Mario!_ Peach thought desperately. She looked around the small, square room again, hoping to find a way out that she hadn't noticed before, or another note--anything! But she noticed nothing.

Frustrated, she turned back to the hole in the wall. The henchmen were all cheering loudly. _They're probably scared _not_ to cheer..._, the Princess thought._ I don't blame them. Who knows what that beast will do when he's in a mood like this?_

Suddenly, Bowser noticed the hole from the brick Peach had removed. Growling angrily, he stood up, and walked down the steps, shoving the cheering guards out of his way. "Move it, you fools!"

Peach knew she had been noticed. She leaned up against the wall to the right of the hole. She was unaware that Bowser held a bottle of sleeping gas in his large claws.

Quick as a flash, Bowser uncorked the bottle and threw it through the hole the removed brick had left. He shouted at the guards, "Get outta here, all of you, unless you want to be knocked out by the gas!"

The henchmen, with Bowser following behind them, scurried for the door, and in no time, the room was empty.

Green gas came from the opened bottle in the small room Peach had been spying in. The gas filled her lungs, and she coughed. Her vision started going black around the edges. Her last thought was, _No, no, I don't want to go unconscious again! _Then she collapsed on the floor.

_To be continued..._


	2. Questions, but no Answers

**Authors' Notes**: Welcome to chapter 2! I just wanted to say that if you have any preferences for the story--that is, someone you'd like to see make an appearance, or something--feel free to say so in your review. We're always open to suggestions, and we want to please our audience; just keep in mind that every suggestion won't be taken into action. Well, enjoy this now-revised chapter!

**Disclaimer**: Once again, all characters, except Exxohman, belong to Nintendo and so does the Paper Mario franchise and some concepts related to Paper Mario (such as the X-Nauts, etc.). The plot of this fanfic, however, was thought up by Sonic 2, and we will both be highly offended if you copy off of this fanfic or use any of Sonic 2's characters without permission.

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**Chapter 2: Questions... But no Answers**

_(30 days before earth is destroyed...)_

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When Peach recovered from the effects of the sleeping gas--the second time that day she had been knocked unconscious--she was in a different room in the X-Naut's base... _The same room Grodus imprisoned me in,_ she reflected. She got up from where she was on the floor.

She heard footsteps from the other side of the doors of her room. They slid open to reveal Bowser. Noticing that Peach was now awake, he stepped in, accompanied by Kammy Koopa. As the doors slid shut behind the evil pair, Peach shot them an angry glance.

"Princess, you better get used to this room because you'll be spending a lot of time in it from here on out," sneered the female Magikoopa. "That annoying computer, TEC, isn't going to help you this time... And don't look so surprised--we heard how Grodus's defeat was partly caused by that Artificial Intelligence, and we aren't going to let it happen again! Its controls that open doors has been destroyed, and it was entirely re-programmed by His Nastiness."

Bowser seemed to be in a less-grouchy mood now that he was in the presence of Peach. "I know what you're thinking, Princess._'_Mario is going to come and save me, like he always does!' Well, y'might as well shove all ideas of that stupid excuse for a plumber out of your head, because this time he won't be--I myself have seen to that!"

"His Awfulness is correct, Princess!" Kammy Koopa piped up again. "The teleportation thing that he can use to get here was also re-programmed by His Grouchiness so that it can only be activated and used from here--meaning, _we _can use it, but Mario can't. As for that trashy cannon the oversized idiot used last time, well, it was destroyed! So Mario has no way of reaching you!"

Peach felt her spirits sink, but she kept a cold, resolute face. "No matter what you do, Mario always finds a way, and it won't be any different this time! Even when you became invincible with the Star Rod, Mario was still able to defeat you. Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"

"C'mon, Princess, you know he won't be able to do it," replied Bowser. "This time, I've thought of every possible thing Mario can do, and have done everything to stop him. There's just no way, so you shouldn't waste your time thinking he'll come, because he won't! And, besides, being here with me isn't as bad as you seem to think. You won't be spending all the time here in your room, y'know--you might have some allowances."

"If you behave!" Kammy Koopa quickly added. "And don't think you'll be able to escape. Just stay here like a good Princess, and don't go poking around things that don't concern you!"

Peach crossed her arms. "I still believe Mario will come... He'll find a way to get here, and take me away from this awful place. He always has, and he always will."

"It's not like he'll think to come here in the first place," Bowser reasoned. "He thinks this place is destroyed and deserted, and he doesn't have any reason to think otherwise. You better just get used to me, Princess, and stop wasting your energy on that no-good Mario!" He walked to the door, with Kammy following him. "Now if you'll excuse me... I have some things to be doing."

They both exited the room, leaving Peach alone.

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Not long after, Exxohman was walking down the hall to the room the meeting had been held in before. _How come there have to be so many elevators in this place?_ he thought, annoyed, as he stepped off the elevator... the third one he had had to take to get to the proper level. He entered the aforementioned room.

Bowser was standing by the control panel, which was still there from when the X-Nauts had owned the base. Kammy Koopa was off doing something with the henchmen.

At the sound of the doors sliding opening and closing again as Exxohman walked in, Bowser turned around. "What is it, Exxohman? I'd prefer not to be bothered right now; I have some things to do."

"I have a few questions, Sir Bowser," replied Exxohman, doing his best to keep his voice low and respectful. If Bowser was as grouchy as he had been earlier, there was no telling what he might do if he got angry... and you had to be especially careful what you said when asking questions. "Why, exactly, do we want to blow up earth? What's the point, Sir? I don't understand how it will help us do anything..."

"That is none of your business!" Bowser snapped. Then he seemed to reconsider something, and calmed down. "I'll tell you when the time comes... now's not that time."

"But, Sir-"

"No _but_'s!"

"Yes, Sir."

Without another word, Exxohman turned and left.

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Back at Princess Peach's Castle, the toads were frantic. They were all gathered in the first floor of the castle, their duties temporarily forgotten. The Princess was missing!

"What are we going to do?" cried a female servant.

"I haven't seen her since this morning!" said another.

"Didn't she say something about a walk?" asked a different one.

"Please! We musn't lose our heads," said the minister, speaking loudly above all the hubbub to get their attention. They all quieted down. "Tahrr T., you were on guard duty earlier today, I believe?"

Tahrr T., a toad with blue spots on his head stepped forward, holding his spear as usual. He was able to maintain a calm tone for the sake of the other worried toads around him. "Yes, I was guarding her room. She told me that she was going to take a walk and that she'd be back soon. I acknowledged it."

"But that must've been _hours_ ago!" said another distressed servant.

The minister knew the situation was serious, but he too remained calm so as not to worry the others. He turned to a sprightly-looking young toad standing next to him. "Sprin T., hurry to the Mario Bros. House and tell them that they're needed right away!"

Sprin T., who was the fastest toad in the castle, gave a smart salute, perking up at a chance to use his running ability. "You got it! I'll have them here in a jiffy!"

With that, he sped to the door. The last thing he heard before he disappeared outside was Toad T., Princess Peach's personal servant, saying encouragingly, "If anyone would be able to do something, it'd be the Mario Bros.!"

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Mario sat at the table, waiting for Luigi to finish up dinner. He was surprised when he heard a sharp knock at the door.

"I'll get it!" he said, getting up from the table. He walked over to the door and opened it to see a very exhausted Sprin T. standing there.

"Toad T.?" said Mario.

"Sprin T.," corrected the little toad between gasps. "I'm here... because of an... urgent situation."

Luigi's voice came from the kitchen. "A toad? Let me guess--Princess Peach has been kidnapped by Bowser, and you need Mario to save her. Right?"

"Not... exactly," said Sprin T., still trying to catch his breath. "She's missing! No one in the castle... has seen her... since this morning. We don't know... where she is. Bowser is the primary suspect, but we're not... sure if he's behind this... or not. You're needed down at the castle right away!"

"I thought something was gonna happen soon. I mean, it's not often that you get a full two months of relaxation without a villain trying to go and kidnap her again," murmured Luigi.

"I'll be there right away," Mario told Sprin T. A determined look crossed his face.

Sprin T. nodded. "I'll go back and tell the rest of the toads you're on your way!" The little toad took off again.

Mario turned to Luigi, about to say something, but Luigi beat him to it. "I know, I know--you don't want me to come because someone needs to stay here and watch the house while you go and heroically save the Princess."

"Exactly. Plus, what if something happens to the toads while I'm gone?" Mario added.

Luigi smiled. "Good luck, Bro. I know you can do it!"

_To be continued..._


	3. Two Pairs are Formed

**Authors' Notes**: Thank you, everyone, for your enlightening reviews!

ToA. Nonymous: Goombella is one of my favorite party members, too, and don't worry--she and some other party members will make an appearance in this fanfic. Regarding Super Mario Sunshine: yes, both Sonic 2 and myself have beaten it--well, we haven't gotten all the Shine Sprites, but we did get up to the final boss and viewed the ending movie-clip. So, I think you can feel free to ask your question. : ) Thanks again for your review!

To Paper Mario Rox!!1!: Glad you're enjoying the story! It took a lot of work!

To Naval Ace: Thanks for your encouragement. Sonic 2 and I love hearing from our audience! We hope to see more of your reviews in the future.

And I'm sorry, everyone, but due to complications concerning time periods, we're going to have to take out the " amount of days left until earth is destroyed...". I know it's a disappointment since you all seemed to like it a lot, but it's just gonna get so hard considering time-related things and chapter lengths... we'll have occasional references to the amount of time left to help you keep track of it, though. Once again, I apologize, and I sincerely hope this doesn't discourage any of you from reading the story... : (

Oh, and before reading this chapter, it is highly recommended that you go back and re-read the previous two chapters. I've revised them both, so there is now new content and extended scenes; including an important bit where the toads go to get Mario and Luigi. Sorry if it's annoying to have to go back and re-read--I probably won't feel the need to revise future chapters as we'll be taking more time writing them. (By the way, you can expect longer chapters in the future--and by long, I mean about the length of this chapter. There won't be as many short ones. And I hope that's a good thing!)

Anyway, Sonic 2 and I are happy to present you all with the newest chapter! From what Sonic 2 has told me (and from some concepts and ideas we discussed), this fanfic is just gonna keep getting better and better, so please keep reading and reviewing. : )

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**Chapter 3: Two Pairs are Formed**

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Peach paced worriedly in her room. _I need to somehow tell Mario about Bowser's plan to destroy earth... And where I'm being held..._

_But how? _

_I'll never be able to escape alone; but if only I could send some kind of message to Mario, like I was able to do before... First, Twink helped me, but I don't know if wishes will work in a situation like this... Especially since this base seems to be so secret. And everybody thinks it's deserted from when Grodus was in charge. And what if the Star Spirits can't reach the moon?_

_Last time, TEC helped me send an e-mail. But Bowser said he re-programmed TEC, so TEC probably won't remember me. Besides, I can't even get out of here to see him._

Peach sighed. _Oh, I wish I could do something to help Mario! He does so much for me... And I hate not being able to do anything on my end! I _WILL_ find a way to help Mario, no matter what it takes!_

Suddenly, the doors to her room slid open. Peach turned, expecting to see Bowser or one of his henchmen appear. She was surprised when there was nothing there. _What? Could it be... TEC?!_ She hurried to the door, worried that it might close again before she had a chance to go through it. _This could be my chance to help Mario!_

Out in the corridor, Peach suddenly stopped when she heard the sound of an elevator. She stood there, unsure what to do. Was someone coming? She couldn't go back into her room now; the doors might close, preventing her chance to help Mario! But what if she was caught and thrown back into her room again, anyway? Her heart raced. Then, she realized that the elevator was going up, and whoever was in it wasn't going to get out and catch her.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she continued walking down the corridor until she came to the door that led to where TEC was. She walked up to it, and was delighted when it opened. She stepped inside the room.

"Princess Peach?" a familiar computer voice asked. "Is that you?"

The doors slid shut again.

"TEC!" Peach was overjoyed. _Now I can send Mario an e-mail!_ "It was you that opened the doors for me, wasn't it? But I thought Bowser said he re-programmed you!"

"...I possess no data related to your question and statement. I did not open the doors for you--they seemed to have been accidentally activated by someone else from a different control panel. Bowser came in here, but he never re-programmed me. He only threatened me. He said that if I didn't give energy to the Orb, then he would erase my entire memory banks... and would _then_ re-program me to do it anyway, after my acquired knowledge was deleted."

"Oh, TEC, that's awful. But, what about all the innocent citizens on earth? They'll be destroyed by Bowser's scheme! My kingdom, the Mushroom Kingdom, and all of my loyal subjects will die... and so will Mario."

"I'm sorry, Princess Peach... There is nothing I can do about it. It would only be a waste to have my memory banks deleted. I would be like a puppet for Bowser; he could use me for all his purposes."

"But, why didn't Bowser just delete your memory banks in the first place instead of threatening you?"

"I do not think Bowser knows much about technological things. By threatening me, he could save himself some work, and wouldn't have to re-program me if I went along with it... which was the only sensible choice."

Peach decided it was time to get down to business. Before she could ask about sending a message to Mario, however, TEC spoke again. "You want to send a message to Mario, don't you?"

Peach was surprised. _Well, he is a very advanced and intelligent computer..._ "Yes, as soon as possible."

"Very well. You must do it quickly before you are caught. I will load up my e-mail program."

Peach walked over to TEC's computer screen. After the e-mail program was activated, she quickly began typing a message to Mario. The keyboard keys made clicking noises as TEC watched the Princess type an e-mail to her rescuer.

"...Okay, TEC, I'm done," she said after a few minutes.

"...Sending e-mail..." Three icons of small e-mail letters appeared on the screen. They lit up as the e-mail was being sent. After the the third one was lit, indicating the e-mail had succesfully been sent, TEC said, "I've sent your e-mail. But before you go back to your room, I want to ask you a question."

"Go ahead."

"I feel different now that I've gotten a chance to see you again... I think it is what you previously referred to as 'happiness.' But I do not understand the fact that I don't feel 'happy' around Bowser. I only feel that way around you. I do not fully comprehend this feeling, but I do not understand that--I am a perfect computer. Is this perhaps related to love?"

"Love is a complex thing, TEC. When you're around the person you're in love with, you feel happy and content, and you want to always be with that person... You admire that person. But... I can't describe all the different points that love can have. Like I said before, it's something you _feel_, not something you understand."

"Princess Peach, I really do love you. And I will do everything to help you."

"I know, TEC... And I truly do appreciate your help... But you must be careful. If you're caught helping me, there's no telling what Bowser will do, but you can expect it to be nothing good. And speaking of carefulness, I think I better return to my room now. Bowser might come down to see me again, and I don't want him to find my room empty."

Peach turned to the door, and was relieved when it opened. She turned back to TEC to say a final parting. "Perhaps we'll meet again soon."

"Good night, Princess Peach," the computer replied with his usual farewell.

The doors slid shut behind Peach after she left the room. It became dark as TEC shut off the lights, and put himself in sleep mode, anxious for his next meeting with the Princess prisoner.

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Mario was walking around town, asking all the Toad Town residents if they had seen anything suspicious around the time Princess Peach had left the castle. After meeting and promising the toads at the castle that he would do all he could to find Peach, he had spent the whole rest of the time investigating her mysterious disappearance...

...And for once, Mario didn't know what to do. There seemed to be absolutely no clues or anything else helpful concerning the missing Princess. But, he kept his spirits up and made sure not to lose hope, knowing that there was some logical explanation behind everything, and that sooner or later, it would turn up. He just hoped it would be sooner.

"Hey, Goombario, look! It's Mario!" Mario recognized the somewhat scratchy voice of Goombaria. He turned in the direction it was coming from to see her and her older brother Goombario running towards him from the entrance of Toad Town.

"Hey, Mario!" greeted Mario's old-time partner Goombario. "I came here with Goombaria to go get some items for Gooma. She's baking some kind of food, and needed us to get a Fire Flower and a Mushroom. Didn't expect to see you, though. Anything goin' on?"

Mario nodded. "Great seeing you again... but there's some bad news. Peach is missing. The last time she was seen was when she supposedly was planning to take a little outing, and since then, nobody has seen her."

The playful and excited grins on the two young Goombas' faces were replaced by serious expressions. Goombario understood the serious aspect of the situation, but tried to appear optimistic. "Do ya need some help with anything, Mario? I mean, I'm sure my parents won't mind if I'm home late for a good cause. And I'd say helping you rescue the Princess is a good cause, wouldn't you?"

Goombaria couldn't help but giggle. "You should've seen the _last_ time Goombario got home late. He was grounded for a whoooole week!"

The older Goomba blushed slightly at his sister's comment. "Oh, c'mon, Goombaria, that was months ago! You're always saying embarrassing things..." He decided to shift the conversation back to the more urgent affair. "So, anyway, what do you say about me helping you, Mario? You don't mind, do you?"

"Actually, I could use the help. Thanks for your offer, Goombario! It's always good to have a willing Goomba around." He grinned optimistically.

Goombaria felt a little disappointed. "Awwww, c'mon, Goombario! _Last time_, you got to save the world. What about me? I wanna help, too, y'know!"

Goombario sighed. "Look, Goombaria, I need you to complete Gooma's errand for me. I may be Mario's sidekick, but... I need someone to tell everyone where I am and not to worry about me. And what about the latest news on the Princess?"

Goombaria gave in, although a little hesitantly. "Fiiiine. But... you be careful, ok? Remember what Goompa said about not getting enough sleep! And Gooma said that she thought not taking baths often was unhealthy. And..."

Goombario looked annoyed. "Ok, I got it! Sheesh, you're sounding just like Mom..."

Goombaria turned to Mario, ignoring her brother for the moment. "Here, Mario. This is a little something that fell from the tree next to our house. I was planning to eat it as a snack, but I want you to have it." She held out a Goomnut.

Mario accepted it. "Thanks, Goombaria! I appreciate the thought, and I promise I'll look after your brother. You better hurry now--Gooma probably is expecting those ingredients soon. And don't worry about the Princess--Goombario and I will have here back before you know it!"

Goombaria smiled. "I know you will! Well, good luck!" She gave a rather comical wink, then skipped off to the Item Shop.

"Finally," said Goombario, "she's gone!" Anxious and excited to be with Mario, he added, "So, what do we do now? Just say the word, and I'm your Goomba!"

_Duhn-a-linnle, duhn-a-linnle, duhn-a-linnle._

Goombario looked at Mario quzzically. "Uhhh... Mario? Do you hear something?"

Mario flipped out a handy-sized laptop computer. "That's the sound my e-mail makes when I've received a new message."

"Ohhhh, right. So, who's it from?"

Mario gave a gasp of surprise. "It says it's from the Princess!" He quickly opened the message, scanning over it briefly, anxious for news. This is what he read:

_Dear Mario,_

_This is Princess Peach. I don't have much time, but I have some important information for you. I'm being held captive in the base Grodus and the X-Nauts imprisoned me in before... Only this time, Bowser is the one behind this. _

_I was able to find out about a disturbing plot of his. According to what I've heard, he's planning to destroy the entire earth! I'm not sure about all the exact details, but I know that TEC is being forced to power some kind of Orb that supposedly will possess enough power after thirty days to blow up earth and everything on it. So, since the process has already begun, that leaves you with less than thirty days to stop Bowser's scheme!_

_I have not yet found out why Bowser wants to do this, but this is a very urgent situation. Mario, I know you will do whatever you can to stop it. I will find out as much information as I possibly can over here. And please don't worry about me--I was able to meet with TEC, and he says he will do anything he can to help me. Please inform the toads at my castle that I'm safe, and that they shouldn't worry about me, ok?_

_Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that there appears to be no way to get to this now-repaired base. Bowser has somehow re-programmed the warping system you'd normally use so that it can only be activated from this end. As for the cannon that you seemed to have used last time, I've been told that it was destroyed. So, I don't know how you will get here... But I would suggest you go to Rogueport._

_Time is short, so I must close now. Please stay safe and be careful, Mario. I will try to contact you if I find out anymore information._

_-Peach_

Mario was filled with relief after finding that Peach was safe. The red-clad plumber read it out loud a second time to Goombario.

After Mario had finished, the Goomba said, "Wow... this is really serious... Not only is the Princess in danger, but the entire world, too!"

Mario nodded slowly. "It's going to be a tough challenge... we don't have any time to waste! Let's head to the docks and take the boat to Rogueport just as the Princess suggested. Once we arrive, we can come up with a plan to get to the moon. But for now, we just have to get to Rogueport--it might have another way to get to Grodus's base, and maybe Bowser overlooked something. Are you willing, Goombario?"

"I'm with you all the way, Mario!" replied the Goomba enthusiastically.

"All right! Let's get a move on!"

The duo headed to the port without delay. They were oblivious to the beautiful sunny day around them--the only thing on their minds was the fate of not just the Princess, but the entire world.

_To be continued..._


	4. The Legend of the Trials

**Disclaimer**: Same as before—Sonic 2 and I do not own the Paper Mario franchise, it's property of Nintendo. The only things that belong to us are the plot of this fanfic, Exxohman, and the two Paper Mario games. We're not writing for money, and we're not affiliated with Nintendo. Basically, we're just fans of Mario writing a fanfic based off the Paper Mario games because we love them! So no suing, please. : P

**Authors**'** Notes**: Wow, thanks for all of your great reviews, everyone! Baby Bowser and the rest of the Koopalings probably won't make an appearance, but then again, they might… You'll just have to wait and see! : D

Vbc, you have a lot of nice ideas—Sonic2 and I agreed before we even saw your review that Grodus will make an appearance. I don't think the Koopa Bros. will, though. As for Lord Crump and the Shadow Sirens, well, they look like they'll be making an appearance, too, but no promises.

A. Nonymous, thank you for your reviews and for wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving—Sonic 2 and I hope you (and everyone else) had a Happy Thanksgiving, too!

Naval Ace and Mr. Z, thanks for your reviews, as well!

We appreciate all of the feedback we've gotten from all you guys, and we hope you'll stay with us as the plot progresses.

And now… here is the next chapter! :)

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Legend of the Trials**

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As Rogueport quickly approached, Mario typed an e-mail to the toads at Princess Peach's Castle to let them know about the latest developments involving the Princess.

"Sir, we're very close to arriving at Rogueport. We should be there in a few minutes. Prepare for landing!" came the Captain's voice from the steering wheel.

Goombario perked up. "Yes, we're _finally_ gonna get off this boat! I was beginning to feel seasick."

-

Rogueport, as its name suggested, was a town filled with rogues. Whether lurking in back alleys for mysterious reasons, or just walking around town with attitudes, the rogues were everywhere. The main thing that had attracted these shady types was the rumor of a fabled treasure hidden somewhere beneath the modern town of Rogueport, resting behind an ancient door that was called the 'Thousand-Year Door.' Even though some of the rogues had gone off after finding out that the 'treasure' wasn't anything of value to them, there were still lots of other rumors and legends floating around that attracted still attracted a lot of them.

The small boat moved smoothly alongside Rogueport's south side and made a gentle stop. Mario and Goombario hopped off.

"Goodbye, Sir!" called the Captain from the boat. "I will be here daily at the usual time if you wish to return to the Mushroom Kingdom." With that, the boat leaped up, spinning around in midair so that it landed in the water facing the direction it had come from. Then, the two small waterwheels on either side of the boat's sides began turning, and it moved away from Mario and Goombario.

Goombario turned away from the departing boat, studying his surroundings. "So this is Rogueport, huh?" Two Piantas in tuxedos were arguing with a bird-like creature, while a Bandit craftily snagged some coins from a different citizen. "The name sure fits this place; it _is _filled with rogues…" the goomba muttered to himself. "Better watch your coins, Mario… not that you don't already know that."

"I think we should go talk to Professor Frankly… hopefully, he'll still be here. He might know some other way to get to the moon," said Mario to his companion.

Goombario shrugged. "You know this place a lot more than I do. Lead the way."

The duo began heading over to the staircase that led to the central part of Rogueport, when Goombario suddenly said, "Whoa! Who is that cute Goomba?"

Mario looked around. "Where?"

Goombario did his best to indicate the direction where he saw the female Goomba—which wasn't too easy since he didn't have any arms. "There!"

Mario looked in the direction Goombario seemed to be gesturing to. Sure enough, he saw a pinkish Goomba wearing a safari-like hat on her head. A long, yellow ponytail trailed out from behind the hat, then curled up slightly at the end. "Oh, that's Goombella," said Mario. "I met her last time I was here."

"She looks like she's having a hard time with a Bandit," said Goombario. "Maybe we should go help her out…" Goombella did indeed look as if she was arguing with a Bandit, who was actually trying to distract her from another Bandit that was aiming to steal anything valuable she had on her!

Mario and Goombario both noticed the other Bandit slinking up behind her. The pair quickly headed over to her, her conversation with the Bandit getting easier to hear as they approached.

"…And I'm sick of you Bandits thinking you own this place!" Goombella was saying in a furious tone. "What do you think I am, an idiot?! I _knew_ you were trying to steal my coins! Well, too bad you didn't get any! Now beat it—and leave me alone, or I might have to get rough!"

The Bandit Goombella was talking to noticed Mario and Goombario coming towards him, and so did the one sneaking up behind Goombella. Not wanting to get themselves caught up in a battle if Mario and Goombario were Goombella's friends, the two Bandits quickly ran off.

"Hi, Goombella," the plumber greeted as he walked up to her.

Goombella turned, a surprised look on her face. "Mario?!" Her face lit up. "Wow, I didn't expect to see you anytime soon!" She flashed him a welcoming smile. Then her eyes rested on Goombario. "Got yourself a new companion, I see."

Goombario grinned. "Actually, I was Mario's partner a looong time ago—even before he went to Rogueport. My name's Goombario."

Goombella grinned back. "I'm Goombella. So, what brings you to this place? It's not exactly a picnicking spot... Are you just visiting with Mario, or something?"

"I wish it were a visit, but it's not," Goombario replied grimly.

Mario spoke up. "We're here because Princess Peach was kidnapped by Bowser and is being held up on the moon in Grodus's old base. According to an e-mail she was able to send me through TEC, they've repaired his base and are now trying to destroy this entire planet! Bowser has some kind of Orb that he's forcing TEC to power, and Bowser seems to want to use that Orb to destroy earth after its been charged for thirty days."

"Sounds like an even bigger weirdo than Grodus," said Goombella. "But, it should be a piece of cake for you, Mario! You've _always_ managed to defeat Bowser in the past—you're even famous for it—so why should this time be any different? Let's just go use that warping thingy, save the Princess, and teach Bowser a lesson he deserves!"

"Too bad it's not that simple," Goombario said. "Princess Peach said in her e-mail that Bowser has re-programmed the warping device so that it can only be activated from Grodus's base. So, Bowser and his henchmen can use it from their end to warp back and forth, but we probably won't be able to."

"Well, then we can just use the cannon you used last time, Mario!" said Goombella. "You haven't forgotten about it already, have you?"

"I'd use it without a second thought, but Bowser destroyed it," Mario replied simply.

Goombella let out an annoyed sigh. "Well, I don't see how we're gonna be able to— Hey, wait a minute… Professor Frankly! If anyone would know what to do, it'd be him!"

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Mario said. "Is he still here?"

"Yep!" replied Goombella. "He's doing some research about the Pit of 100 Trials, I think. There were rumors not too long ago that a giant beast lurked way down and guarded a mysterious treasure or something like that. This place is, like, full of rumors now—there's even some rumors going around about you and that you didn't really get the treasure behind the Thousand-Year Door yet!

"Anyway, I'm getting away from the point," she went on, "Professor Frankly is right where you left him, Mario—same house and everything."

"Ummm… you're not going with us, then?" asked Goombario, a tinge of regret in his voice.

"Of course I'm going with you!" said Goombella. "Mario's gonna need all the help he can get. And I'm not just gonna sit around while the earth, plus the Princess, plus everyone else here on earth have a risk of being destroyed! And if you're worried that I'm gonna get creamed in battle, don't be. I can take care of myself."

"Great to have you back, Goombella," said Mario.

"Yeah, it's nice having another Goomba around," said Goombario. "Especially such a cute one," he added under his breath.

"Then it's settled. Now, we should get going!" said Goombella.

The trio left the ports quickly, eager to get to Professor Frankly's house. There was no time to waste!

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Back at the Mushroom Kingdom, a strange and mysterious figure had entered into Toad Town. It wore a black cloak wrapped tightly around its somewhat short body, and the only thing that could be seen of it was its attentive, beady black eyes. It pattered around, glaring at anyone who shot it a questioning glance, not really aiming to go to anywhere specific.

It was as it was walking around the South Side of Toad Town that it heard something that suddenly caught its attention...

"Sighhh… I hope Mario will be able to rescue the Princess!"

The mysterious figure turned in the direction the voice was coming from. His eyes rested on a young female Goomba. The cloaked figure pattered over to her, and tried to act as casual as it could.

"The Princess has been kidnapped?" it asked in an eager, squeaky voice.

"Oh, uh…" the Goomba appeared to be flustered that such a mysterious stranger was talking to her. "Y-yeah, you didn't hear? Peach was just kidnapped by Bowser recently. Mario and my brother Goombario set out to rescue her. There's been no news since…"

Ahhhh… so Mario was gone, was he? That meant that only his little brother Luigi was left to defend the Mushroom Kingdom! The figure grinned evilly from inside its cloak, a scheme coming together in its mind. Without saying another word to Goombaria, it pattered off.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Professor Frankly was a slightly eccentric-looking Goomba. He wore glasses that had a faint spiraling pattern on them, and two tufts of white hair stuck out on either side of his head. Despite his appearance, however, he was a renowned archaeology professor, who had even trained the famous Professor Kolorado of the Mushroom Kingdom! He listened as Mario, Goombario, and Goombella, speaking in turns, explained about Bowser's plot to destroy earth.

"…And so that's when we decided to come to you, Professor," Goombella was just finishing.

Frankly pondered everything he had just been told, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Hmmm… You say you want to know if there is any other way to get to the moon?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Mario.

"Hold on a moment, will you?" The Goomba walked over to a bookcase behind him. He scanned the titles of some books, muttering quietly to himself. "_The Legend of the Big-jawed Treasure Monster_? No… _The Fabled Treasure of Flowerville_? No… Ah! Here it is!" He triumphantly held up a green book.

"What's that?" Goombario asked as the Professor set it on his desk and began flipping through the pages.

"This is a book about the legends and histories of Rogueport," Frankly explained. "One student of mine helped in conducting the research for it. It was recently updated because of your adventure, Mario, and I seem to remember reading something in here that told about how Grodus and his X-Nauts might've gotten to the moon to build their base in the first place… Yes, here it is!"

"What does it say, Professor?" Goombella asked.

Frankly cleared his throat and began reading. "'_After intense studying, we have confirmed that Grodus was able to get to the moon without using the cannon at Fahr Outpost—the villagers of Fahr Outpost, when questioned, said that no one had asked to use their cannon for a long time until Mario did. Further research went under way to answer the question, "How did Grodus get up there if he didn't use the cannon?" (The teleportation device seems to have been built by him after he built his base.) This question will require us to talk about an old legend._

"'_It is rumored that somewhere far below Rogueport, four pits of trial can be found. The first one, located nearest to the surface, is the Pit of 100 Trials, which supplies whoever is brave enough to go into it with badges and other helpful accessories for the other four trials. This pit's existence has been confirmed._

"'_The rest of this, however, is based a lot more off of old Rogueport legends than actual confirmed research and history, but it seems likely to be true. According to the aforementioned legends, the Trial of Strength, which we assume is the second trial, tests your strength by sending out even more vicious foes than the Pit of 100 Trials, and in more quantities. It seems that there is a mysterious and powerful Orb you will find after you complete this trial. This Orb is said to be capable of causing mass destruction._

"'_The third trial, once again according to legends, is said to be the Trial of Knowledge. It tests how smart, cunning, and wise you are. If you clear this trial, you are rewarded with an Orb that will grant you one wish. We think that, if this is true, Grodus may have retrieved this Orb, and may have wished that he had a base on the moon, and that is how he got there. This has not yet been confirmed, however._

"'_The rest becomes sketchier. There is said to be one more trial, but we have received conflicting comments about it from Rogueport historians. Most, however, seem to think it is something like the "Trial of Many Challenges," where all your skills must come into play._

"'_Please note that a lot of this has not been confirmed, but we wonder how else Grodus would be able to get to the moon. No other legends seem to be sensible. Research was shifted to other matters, and there has been no further info on this subject._'"

There was a moment's silence as everyone took in all the things Professor Frankly had just read. Then Goombella said thoughtfully, "Heeeey… Mario, didn't you say something about an Orb that TEC was being forced to power? I wonder if the Orb that they said could cause mass destruction is the one Bowser got… Yeah! It must be!"

"I think you're right, Goombella," said Mario. "And if _that_ trial exists, the others must exist, too."

"But if the trials do exist, how will that help us?" said Goombario. "I mean, what if there really isn't something down there that will help us reach the moon? It would all be a complete waste of time! And we have less than thirty days left..."

"But it's the only thing we can do… isn't it?" Goombella said, shooting an inquiring glance at Frankly.

"It's the only I can think of that has good research to back it up with," Frankly admitted. "I think this should be your course of action–for now, at least. And meanwhile, I'll be studying more research about this topic and others, and I'll let you know about any other possible ways or more info on this 'trial' legend."

"We don't even know where this fourth trial is, though," Goombario pointed out. "All the book said was that it was located somewhere underneath Rogueport—that could be _anywhere_ down there. We could spend days just searching for it!"

Mario's face had a determined look on it. "But think of the Princess, Goombario... and everyone else in the world. They're counting on us to save Peach and them, and that might include taking risks. I think this is the only sensible option right now, and it will be a step in the right direction–we'll be attempting to stop Bowser's scheme, at least, instead of just sitting around for other choices to become available. There's nothing else we can do right now."

The Goomba looked convinced. "Well, when you put it that way... I'm with you, Mario."

"We'll both go with you, Mario! And we'll help you whenever we can," said Goombella encouragingly. "We can do it!"

"Yeah," said Goombario. Then he thought for a second and said, "Mario, you know how the book says that the fourth trial might be something like the 'Trial of Many Challenges?' Well, do you think we should get some help from some of your old partners, too? They all had special skills, and they'll probably be a big help!"

"Yeeeaaah," said Goombella. "And some of your more recent ones, too, Mario. Like Vivian… and Admiral Bobbery…"

"Good thinking," said Mario. "We should be prepared for anything. I'll send an e-mail to some of them right away. If we all work together, I know we can do it."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bowser was in his room. He hadn't had a very exciting day, but he was still in high spirits because things were going so well. His grumpy mood was gone–at least for now.

The doors slid open, and Kammy Koopa walked in, wielding her magic wand. "Your Nastiness, things are looking good for us. According to recent reports, Princess Peach's capture has spread over Toad Town, and I just found out that Mario set out for Rogueport... even though he has no way of getting here in the first place. He just can't accept that he's going to be the loser this time!"

Bowser replied, "Well, when I blast him to smithereens, then he'll just have to accept it. Bwahahaha! But you know, Kammy, there's something that's been bothering me lately... how did Princess Peach get up here if we re-progammed the warping device and destroyed the cannon? I didn't take her–even though I was planning to later."

"Er..." Kammy Koopa thought for a moment, trying to think of a logical explanation to Bowser's wondering. "It doesn't matter, Your Vileness. She's captured now with no way of contacting Mario or escaping."

"You're right, Kammy. No one–not even Mario–can stop me this time! Bwahahahaha!" Bowser laughed again. "By the way, speaking of Princess Peach, I think I'll go see her now." The King of Koopa's got up from his throne, and walked over to the doors. "Coming, Kammy?"

In response, the female Magikoopa walked over to Bowser, and both exited the room together.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Peach was thinking about her last meeting with TEC when the doors to her room suddenly slid open, and Bowser walked in followed by Kammy. _Not again..._ she thought irritably as she turned around to face the two, making sure to keep a cold face that showed her unhappiness.

"Hello again, Princess," Bowser greeted.

"I hope you've behaved yourself," said Kammy Koopa. "Well, I don't have any reason to worry, anyway–there's not a single way to escape from this room. And there's no way that Mario will rescue you, either."

_That's what you think._ "Go ahead and keep thinking that–you'll only feel worse when Mario arrives and rescues me, just like he always does," Peach replied.

"Oh, get off it, Princess!" said Bowser. "It's just like I said before. I know he's caused me trouble in the past, but this time is different! How can he beat me if he can't even get to me? Well, anyway, I can see you're not in a good mood right now. I'll come back some other time–I have some things to do now." He walked to the door, and exited with Kammy Koopa.

Peach sighed. _Mario will rescue me... I just know it._

To be continued...


	5. Meetings, Reunitings, and a Revealment

**Chapter 5: Meetings**,** Reunitings**,** and a Revealment**

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**Authors**' **Notes**: Once again, thank you for your reviews, everyone! : ) It seems that you guys really like Goombario and Goombella as a couple… We might drop hints now and then that they like each other a little, but I don't think we'll go too far with it because it just seems, well… it doesn't seem Paper Mario-like, if y'know what I mean. Sonic 2 and I are really trying to make this fanfic match up with the games, and if we think something doesn't seem too likely to happen in a Paper Mario game, we usually don't do it.

Homer56712: Glad you're enjoying the story! Oh, and it's not a problem about how you thought we deleted your review—the review thing _was_ going weird during the upgrade. (Some reviews started appearing at the bottom of the list!) No need to swear.

Naval Ace: Sonic 2 actually thought of the way Goombella was introduced. I liked it, too!

Random67: I really enjoyed reading your review! I know whatcha mean about Bowser acting a little meaner—I told Sonic 2 that we should try to make him a little funnier, as he is in the games, and Sonic 2 agreed. So, we're gonna try to match him up more with his personality in the Paper Mario games in future chapters. : ) Yiss, the trials will be hard—not only for Mario, but also for Sonic 2 and I because we have to write it. Still tryin' to make up stuff for it. I only made up a lot of the trial thing as I was writing the last chapter, so it was kinda' at the last second, and I still don't have much of an idea how, exactly, the trials should be… but I have confidence that I'll come up with some ideas, and if not, well, Sonic 2 probably will.

Vbc: I think you'll find that you'll be pleasantly surprised… : D Tell us what you think about a_ certain character's_ appearance in this chapter after you read it, ok? (And you, too, A. Nonymous and Homer56712!) Trust me—you'll know who it is!

A. Nonymous: I knew you'd like how old party members came back—I do myself! Of course, not all of them will, but a nice amount will, as you'll see after reading this chapter. By the way, I'm sorry if Admiral Bobbery's accent isn't done too well… it's my first time doing an accent like his.

After re-reading the last chapter, I think Princess Peach's perspective was a little over dramatic… I'll try not to make her parts too much like that in the future. Oh, and how do you guys think Mario acts? Personally, I think he ends up kinda' feminine… which can only be expected since I'm a female, and Sonic 2 doesn't seem to be too enthusiastic about writing the plumber's parts… But he'll be helping me with that more in the future.

Well, after this long A/N, here is the next loooooong chapter for your enjoyment! Thanks for your patience!

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Parakarry was in the Toad Town Post Office, talking to his boss and preparing to deliver everyone's mail.

"Try not to be so absent-minded and careless this time, Parakarry," said Parakarry's boss as he handed the Paratroopa a small sack filled with letters. "We can't afford to lose five letters every time you deliver!"

"I know, Sir," said Parakarry, pouring the sack of letters into his mailbag that was draped across his shoulders. "I'll try to be more careful from now on. I think I'm improving now… or at least, I'm trying to."

"Well, you should really pay more attention!" replied his boss. "I can't imagine why someone as scatterbrained as you would ever want to be a postal deliverer…"

"Not many Paratroopas were up for the job, and I thought it'd be a good way of helping me to overcome my… carelessness," explained Parakarry. He strapped on his brown pilot's cap, and lowered his flying goggles over his eyes, about to announce that he was going to depart, when he heard a beeping noise.

_Dun-a-linnel, dun-a-linnel, dun-a-linnel!_

"E-mail," he informed his boss. He took out his laptop computer, and entered into his Mailbox SP. "Wow, it's from Mario! I didn't expect _him_ to e-mail me. I hope everything's okay… I remember hearing that he left to go to Rogueport."

Parakarry opened up the e-mail and read it quietly to himself. When he was done, his eyes shone with excitement and determination. "Mario says that he's going to need my help in rescuing the Princess! I hate to ask this, Sir, but… could I please be granted permission to assist Mario? That is, taking some days off?"

Parakarry's boss hesitated a second, then said, "Oh, what is there to think about? If the Princess is in trouble, and Mario is asking for your help, get out there and don't worry about mail delivery! I'll have a substitute replace you."

"Thanks for understanding, Sir!" replied Parakarry. "I'll try to help Mario get the Princess back as soon as possible so I can get back to my job. Well, I better get going—Mario says that I'm supposed to meet up with some other of his old partners at the port." He dumped the letters out of his mailbag onto the desk, and then exited.

This couldn't be a better time for Mario to need help! But Parakarry understood the seriousness, and he soared determinedly into the air, heading to Toad Town's port side.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In Shy-Guy's Toybox, Watt was training with General Guy and the rest of the Shy-Guy Squad. They were all lined up in three rows in the room Mario had fought General Guy in, and were standing erect as General Guy paced by them. When he came to Watt, the General Shy-Guy stopped.

"You there—Watt!" he said. Even though Watt had helped defeat him in the past, General Guy was still thinking of himself as a superior, and allowed Watt to participate in the training sessions he held.

If Watt could salute, she would have, but since she didn't have any arms, she could only give a small jump in acknowledgment to General Guy's addressing. "Yes, Sir? If you need my unique ability to light up darkness, it's no problem!"

General Guy spoke in a very official- and, what he considered to be, military-like style. "You're willing to obey, and I approve of willingness! But, if I want something, I do not need you to suggest things. I will simply issue a command, and you will then carry it out. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir," said Watt a little irritably, feeling impatient for an answer to her inquiry.

"Now, I am going to see how well you do in battle. You will verse…" General Guy paused, searching the lines of Shy-Guy's with his eyes for a good combatant for Watt. His gaze rested on Anti-Guy. "…Anti-Guy!"

Watt adopted what she thought was a determined look. "I'm ready! Not only can I light up darkness, but I'm also an awesome fighter."

"Well, now is your chance to prove that," said General Guy. "Both of you, come up front here!" Anti-Guy and Watt followed General Guy as he led them in front of the first row of Shy-Guys, where a clear space was between some large, colored paper formed as building blocks. General Guy hopped onto this paper building-block structure as Watt and Anti-Guy faced each other. "You two both should remember that this is only—" He was interrupted by a high-pitched sound.

_Dun-a-linnel, dun-a-linnel, dun-a-linnel!_

General Guy looked around suspiciously, angry that he had been interrupted. "I demand to know—what was that?"

Watt gave him an apologetic—and slightly embarrassed—smile. "Oh, that's my e-mail, Sir." She took out her own small computer, which was yellow and had a small sticker of her on it.

"I do not like being interrupted, and do not approve of technological things such as that to be turned on during a training session!" said General Guy, giving Watt a severe stare.

Watt had quickly read the e-mail, and she gasped. "It's from Mario! And he wants _me_ to assist him in saving Princess Peach! It's so nice to have my skills and ability appreciated…" Then, as if remembering where she was, Watt gave General Guy a business-like look. "Sir, I request permission to leave and help Mario. Going on another adventure with him might help me improve… if I _can_ improve anymore."

General Guy sat for a moment in thoughtful silence. Then he said, "Permission granted. You will come back a stronger fighter after you have had some more battle experience… even if you _will_ be traveling with someone who defeated me in the past…"

"YES!" said Watt. "Thank you, Sir! I will leave immediately!" Living up to her statement, she turned to the entrance (and also the exit) of the room, her mind focusing on arriving at the Toad Town ports as Mario's e-mail had instructed.

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Sushie kept an attentive eye on the Yoshi infants playing on Lava Lava Island. A considerable amount of time had passed since Mario had found them when they had gotten lost in the jungle, and they were beginning to grow restless of the small Yoshi village again. However, they were somewhat less mischievous because of that experience, and were now pleading with Sushie, this time asking if they could just go a short way into the jungle instead of their usual way of concocting troublesome schemes. But Sushie remained firm in her decision.

"Don't you remember what happened the last time you 'took a little walk in the jungle?' If it weren't for Mario, who knows what would've happened to you?" she said to young Green Yoshi, who acted as leader of the infant Yoshis.

"But Sushie, things are _different_ now," protested Green Yoshi in a slightly whining tone.

"Well, the jungle isn't any different now—it's just as dangerous as it used to be, and I absolutely don't want you or any of the other young Yoshis going in it!" replied Sushie authoritatively.

"But what if you came with us?" suggested Blue Yoshi.

"Yeah!" The other Yoshis agreed heartily.

"You helped Mario when he went in," Red Yoshi spoke up, "so you'll be tough enough with us!"

"The circumstances were different then," said Sushie. "That was an urgent situation involving the life of Princess Peach. You simply want to take a leisurely stroll in there for no reason at all other than you're bored. The jungle…" The Yoshis had heard Sushie say this before, and they already guessed what was coming. They joined in, repeating it with Sushie as the fish baby-sitter continued, "…should never be considered anything except a dangerous place, and should only be entered when an urgent affair arises."

Sushie gave the Yoshis a reproving stare. "That's exactly correct. You may play only within the boundaries of our village, and are not allowed to go into the jungle. Subject closed!"

The Yoshis wandered off, disappointed. Sushie watched them fondly. For all her strictness, she really did like the little gang… even if they did make her baby-sitting job complicated. In fact, it was because of her fondness for them that she was strict. But, she knew that they were only young Yoshis, and that they'd soon mature…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a strange beeping sound.

_Dun-a-linnel, dun-a-linnel, dun-a-linnel!_

"What in the world?" she said to herself, looking around in every direction, wondering where the sound was coming from. Then she remembered—the small computer she had recently gotten! It was still new, and she often forgot she had it, especially because of her dealings with the Yoshi infants.

Pulling it out, she managed to get into her Mailbox SP and was surprised to see an e-mail from Mario. She quickly read it, eager for news from the plumber. She was shocked when she read that Princess Peach had been kidnapped and that the entire earth might be destroyed—in less than thirty days!

Realizing that the situation was very urgent, she snapped shut the computer and put it away, heading off to find the Yoshi Chief to let him know that she must leave to help Mario. If she wanted to make it to the Toad Town ports soon, she'd better get a move on!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

At the Glitz Pit, Yoshikid had been fighting solo since his adventure with Mario, and he had been steadily working his way up to the top. His fame kept spreading and spreading—it helped that he had once been the companion of Mario when Mario had his famous career in the Glitz Pit—and he had collected plenty of fans. Now, the young Yoshi was getting ready to fight Rawk Hawk himself, who was the current champion!

A security guard walked into the major-league locker room, where Yoshikid was preparing for his title match. "Yoshikid! Follow me. It's time for your big fight. We have a full house out there!"

Yoshikid licked his paw and ran it through his brightly-colored mohawk. "I'm ready!" He followed the security guard out to the fighting arena.

As soon as the little dino walked in, all the people who had attended the fight went wild, screaming out support to him as he walked up to the platform where all the fights were held.

"Yeah! You rock!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOH! GO YOSHIKID!"

"Get 'em!"

"Yo-shi, Yo-shi, Yo-shiKID!"

"YOU GO, MAN!"

One Shy-Guy, however, didn't think much of Yoshikid, and screamed out, "BOOOO! Get off the stage, little baby! Rawk Hawk is gonna smash you like a BUG!"

Yoshikid couldn't help but yell back in reply, "We'll just see about that!"

He hopped up the last step and onto the raised platform where Rawk Hawk was already waiting for him. "So, you finally decided to show up," said Rawk Hawk. "It's a good thing, otherwise all my fans wouldn't get to see me prove my strength. It's just like I always say… DON'T MESS WITH THE HAWK, OR YOU MIGHT GET RAAAAAAWWWKED!"

"Yeah, well, I'm here now, aren't I? It's time to show you just what kind of stuff I'm made of. Prepare for a major beating!" said Yoshikid, his face resolute.

Ms. Jolene, a Toad who had taken over the Glitz Pit after Grubba was found to be behind the missing fighters, stood slightly behind the two opponents. She wore a red suit, and her mushroom head had pink spots instead of the standard red. A tuft of blonde hair hung down and blocked her face slightly. She adjusted her glasses in her usual manner as she tried to hype up the audience for the fight. "In this next battle, we have the Rising Star… Yoshikid, who's going for the champion title of the entire Glitz Pit!"

"_WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!_"

The audience roared and screamed loudly, causing Ms. Jolene to pause as she waited for the hype to calm down. Yoshikid raised his hands in the air in acknowledgment, glad that he had such supporting fans.

After a moment, Ms. Jolene spoke over the audience's excitement, calming them down. "And he's fighting none other than the Smashing Sensation… Yes, a heated battle with none other than Rawk Hawk, the current Glitz Pit champion!"

"_YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAH! FEEL THE RAWK!!_"

Again, the crowd went wild. All Rawk Hawk's fans were screaming their support and encouragement at the top of their lungs. Rawk Hawk gave Yoshikid a taunting grin. "See? Even my fans know that you're no match for me!"

A fan from the audience shouted out, "That's right! Rawk Hawk's gonna RAWK YA!"

"Cut the bragging—it'll only make you feel more humiliated when _I_ win!" Yoshikid retorted to his opponent.

Ms. Jolene again spoke, yelling, "Get ready to—"

_Dun-a-linnel, dun-a-linnel, dun-a-linnel!_

Ms. Jolene looked at Yoshikid, where the sound seemed to be coming from. Taking the mic away from her mouth, she said, "Yoshikid? What's that noise I just heard?"

Yoshikid flipped out his laptop computer with a sheepish look. "Oh, um… it's just my e-mail. I forgot to get rid of the computer. Let me just see who it's from a sec, OK?"

Ms. Jolene sighed. "Well, hurry—the fans are waiting!"

"Fight already!" cried an anxious fan. "Don't look at your dumb e-mail!!"

Yoshikid gasped in shock as he opened the e-mail and began reading it, ignoring the fan. "Hold everything, it's from the Great Gonzales!" he said, using Mario's Glitz Pit fighting name. "It's gotta be something urgent—he never e-mailed me before…"

One excited fan shouted out quickly, "GREAT GONZALES?! I LOVE THE GREAT GONZALES! IF HE'S ASKING YOU TO COME ON ONE OF HIS ADVENTURES, THEN GO, MAN, GO!!!"

When Yoshikid finished reading the message, he put his computer away, his eyes glowing meaningfully. "Look, it's not that I'm scared or anything, but I'm gonna have to forfeit. There's a serious situation going on with Gonzales here. The entire planet could be destroyed! And Mario's asking for my help. So I gotta go!"

He began hopping down the stairs of the platform, when he turned back to Rawk Hawk. "Don't think you've seen the last of me—I'll be back to fight you soon!"

Yoshikid's fans, who had grown quiet to hear what was going on, shouted encouragement as he pattered over to the doors that led out of the fighting arena.

"You rule—go save the world!"

"THAT'S RIGHT, YOU GO, MAN—JUST LIKE I SAID TO!!"

"I know you and the Great Gonzales can do it, YOSHIKID!"

"Hurry and get back for a re-match!"

"GOOD LUCK, DUDE!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Belldam, Marilyn, and Vivian—the three Shadow Sirens—were in the forest near Twilight Town and the Creepy Steeple. They liked it there because it was quiet and away from all the staring eyes of the townsfolk. Since Grodus's defeat, it had become their most-visited place.

Belldam, the oldest (and also smallest-in-size) of the three, wasn't as mean as she used to be to her two sisters, but she still acted as their leader and could still easily lose her temper.

Marilyn, the second oldest (and also biggest-in-size), wasn't the smartest match in the box. The only thing she could do to attempt to communicate with her sisters was to make a strange sound in her throat that suggested she was about to throw up. However, she was the best when it came to fighting battles, having more endurance and strength than they did.

Vivian, the youngest (and also medium-in-size) of the three, was gentler, more considerate, and quieter than her other two sisters. She didn't like fighting as much, and had less endurance and strength than they did. But, when her spunky fighting spirit was aroused, she _could_ put up quite a fight.

All three were just talking in the forest at the moment.

"You know what we need?" Belldam said. "We need another job that suits us! Sitting around and just rolling through life with ease isn't what I had in mind for us!"

"But Belldam, what is there for us to do?" asked Vivian in her quiet way. She didn't have a problem with no adventure.

Belldam replied, "_That's_ the problem: there's nothing for us to do! And I, for one, am sick of it! Wouldn't you two like some excitement, too?"

"Guh!" said Marilyn in her usual (and slightly annoying) way.

"I don't mind having no adventure," said Vivian. "It was only a few months ago that we had the whole Crystal Star thing. As long as no one needs help like Mario did, I'm happy just relaxing for now. I liked helping Mario, and if he ever needed help again, I'd go. It was just such a good feeling helping him to save the Princess and solving the mystery of the Thousand-Year Door… But if he doesn't need help, well, I don't have any complaints."

Belldam sighed. "That's the problem with you two… you always seem to disagree with me!"

"Guuuuh?" said Marilyn.

"We don't disagree on purpose, Belldam... It just happens that way…" replied Vivian.

_Dun-a-linnel, dun-a-linnel, dun-a-linnel!_

"Vivian, is that your e-mail again?" said Belldam.

"I think so," said Vivian. When she had seen Mario using a computer, and had realized how useful it was, she had gotten one herself. "Let me see who it's from this time." She entered her Mailbox SP, and found Mario's message. "Hey, it's from Mario! I was just talking about him. What a coincidence that he would send me an e-mail…!"

"Guh?" said Marilyn.

"What does it say?" demanded Belldam.

"This is weird… Mario says that he needs some help from me because Bowser's trying to destroy the earth and has Peach captive," said Vivian in a shocked tone.

"You want to go off and leave us here, don't you?" said Belldam. "Well… go ahead. This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I was talking about excitement. Ever since that whole thing with Grodus, I feel guilty around that plumber… Besides, I just remembered that Doopliss was starting to get bored himself, so Marilyn and I will stay here to watch him, unless we're needed. Don't get yourself hurt, Vivian!"

"Guh!" said Marilyn in what seemed like agreement.

"I'll do my best!" said Vivian in reply. "Stay safe." With that, she disappeared into the ground, using the special ability the three sisters all had. She prepared to re-surface at Rogueport, where Mario had said to go.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Back at Rogueport, another person was arriving: Jr. Troopa, a strange yellowish creature that still had his eggshell clinging to his body. He had often tagged along in the past, challenging Mario to fights that he, Jr. Troopa, always lost. He hadn't seen Mario for a while, however, but he had been training at the Toad Town Dojo, and wanted to challenge Mario to another fight.

When the news had reached him that Mario had traveled all the way to Rogueport because Princess Peach was missing, Jr. Troopa had two choices—wait for Mario to come back, or go to Rogueport himself. Being the impatient type, Jr. Troopa had chosen to set out to Rogueport… and it had been no easy task flying across the ocean using his two bat wings…

He landed now in Rogueport's east side. Breathing heavily, he exclaimed triumphantly, "I finally—_pant_—made it!" He looked around at Rogueport, noticing that the inhabitants looked more roguish and acted less polite than most of the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. "This seems like my kind of place. Now if I can only find Mario…"

Suddenly, he spotted the familiar red-clad plumber through an arch in a brick wall ahead of him. He was messing with a computer while two Goombas, one of which Jr. Troopa recognized as an old partner of Mario's, stood nearby. Tottering across a small, rickety bridge, Jr. Troopa crept up to the trio, making sure to stay out of view. He was curious what they were up to.

As he got closer, he was able to hear what Mario, Goombario, and Goombella were saying.

"How's it going with the e-mail, Mario?" Goombario inquired. "Almost done?"

"Yeah, it's taking forever!" Goombella couldn't help but complain. "What's the deal?"

"Well, I've just finished e-mailing Parakarry, Watt, Sushie, Yoshikid, and Vivian so far," Mario replied. "They've all sent replies saying that they're on their way. So, that leaves Admiral Bobbery."

"Wow, I don't know, like, half those people," said Goombella. "But it's gonna be totally cool meeting them. Oh, and about Admiral Bobbery—well, he's taking a three-day break after going on his latest sea voyage, so he should be in the next house over."

Jr. Troopa realized that they were talking about the house he was spying right in front of! He was still mad at Mario for defeating him in their fights during Mario's quest for the Star Spirits, but he knew that Mario plus two tough-looking Goombas would be able to beat him. So, he'd just have to do something to reduce their number…

Rushing out suddenly, he sped by the trio, aiming for Goombella. Goombella, thinking he was some crazy rogue just running past, tried to move out of his way, but Jr. Troopa kept a straight course at her. He hit the spunky female Goomba, causing her to fly into the air a little and land on his back. He got a firm hold of her foot.

"Mario! Isn't that the crazy kid who tried to fight you before?" asked Goombario. "He's trying to capture Goombella! We gotta do something!"

"No need," said Mario, who had seen the whole thing. "Look—he's heading back this way. Make sure he doesn't get past here!" Sure enough, Jr. Troopa had skidded to a stop and was running back top speed towards Mario and Goombario, still holding Goombella by the foot. (Jr. Troopa's amateur plan was to toss Goombella in the ocean to get rid of her, you see.)

Goombario and the plumber tried to bar the entrance cut into the brick wall, but Jr. Troopa managed to cannon by them—right into the open door of Admiral Bobbery's house!

_THUD._

Jr. Troopa was flattened against the door—if it's possible for him to be any flatter than what he already was—and Goombella's foot slipped from his grasp. Goombella hopped up as Bobbery stepped outside and Jr. Troopa fluttered down in a papery way onto the ground, his eyes rolling around while little stars circled his head in the way he always did after Mario had defeated him.

"Sheesh, what the heck was _his _beef?!" demanded Goombella. "You see crazier freaks every day around here!" She averted her attention from Jr. Troopa, and said to Bobbery, "Well, I guess I should say thanks for opening the door just in the nick of time. But I could've gotten away from that weirdo myself. Still… thanks, Bobbery!"

"Oh, it was nothing," said Bobbery. "Glad to know you're okay, Goombella."

"How couldn't I be? That was the worse attempt at a capture I've ever seen!" replied Goombella.

"So, you're Admiral Bobbery, huh?" asked Goombario, surveying Bobbery. The dark-colored Bob-omb had a ship's steering wheel attached to his back that spun continually at a steady rate. He also had two bushy eyebrows that covered his eyes, and a fuzzy mustache that gave him a certain 'salty old sea dog' look.

"That's right, old bean. And who are you?" inquired Bobbery.

"I'm known as Goombario. I'm an old-time partner of Mario's," replied the Goomba. "Nice meeting you."

"Um… pardon me," put in Mario, "but we have a pretty urgent situation here. Admiral Bobbery, we'll be needing your help on this." Mario quickly explained about Bowser's plot to destroy the world.

When he finished, Bobbery said, "This is a serious matter indeed… You say that your other partners are on the way, Mario?"

"Yeah, I just finished sending e-mails to them all," replied Mario. "They should all be here within an hour… except maybe Sushie. She's the farthest away."

"I see. Well, while we're waiting, why don't we get a little something to eat from Zess T.?" suggested Bobbery. "There's really nothing else to do, old chap."

"I'm for that!" said Goombella. "Some refreshment would definitely do us all some good. You and Goombario must be specially hungry, Mario, after that long sea voyage and all."

"But what if Vivian arrives while we're in there?" said Mario. "She's the closest to us, and she might not be able to find us."

"Did someone mention me?" Vivian emerged from the ground. She wore her usual red-and-white striped hat, and her pink hair curled out from under it.

"Vivian!" exclaimed Mario in surprise.

"Hi, Mario, Goombella, and Bobbery!" said Vivian. "I came as fast as I could after I read your message."

"Hey, Vivian!" said Goombella. "It's great seeing you again."

"Didn't expect you to get here _that_ soon," said Mario. "But yeah, good seeing you!"

"Hello, Vivian," Bobbery said. "It's really been too long, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it has," replied Vivian with a gentle smile. Then she looked at Goombario. "Oh… I don't think we've met before. My name's Vivian."

"I'm Goombario, old-time partner of Mario's," answered Goombario. "I'm helping him, too."

"Well, now that we have the greetings and introductions done, why don't we all get some quick food before that young scamp—whatsisname—Yoshikid arrives?" Bobbery pressed. "He's the second closest, if I remember correctly."

"I wouldn't mind having something to eat," agreed Vivian.

"All right," Mario gave in. "But let's make it quick."

The fivesome headed over to Zess T.'s residence.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It wasn't long after when all Mario's partners were assembled in Rogueport's central plaza. Mario began the introduction process.

"Goombario, Parakarry, Watt, Sushie," he began, "these are my friends Goombella, Yoshikid, Vivian, and Admiral Bobbery. They helped me solve the mystery of the Thousand-Year Door and save Princess Peach. Goombella, Yoshikid, Vivian, Admiral Bobbery, these are my old partners, Goombario, Parakarry, Watt, and Sushie. They helped me rescue the Star Spirits and Princess Peach, again, a while back."

Friendly greetings were exchanged all around.

"Hello to all of you," said Admiral Bobbery. "I trust you've all heard about this crazy scheme to destroy the planet?"

"_I_ have!" replied Watt. "Mario would never leave out any details when talking or writing to me. He understands my importance."

"A Yoshi kid we have here, eh?" said Sushie, looking Yoshikid over. "I hope you behave yourself and stay out of trouble unlike those little rogues I baby-sit back on Lava Lava Island!"

"Hey, I can take care of myself," said Yoshikid. "I'm a famous fighter at the Glitz Pit, y'know. And I don't need some fish telling me what to do, no offense!"

"Hello!" Parakarry called to Goombella. "Have you met Goombario over there yet? It seems like you'd two get along just fine."

"Hi!" replied Goombella. "Yep, I've met Goombario. He's pretty cool… unlike some freaks I've met. Are you like a postman or something?"

"That's me," answered Parakarry; "a postal deliverer just trying to do his best!"

"Wow, I never knew Mario had so many different friends and partners!" exclaimed Vivian.

"Yeah, he's gotten a lot of help," said Goombario. "Even the famous Mario can use some help sometimes, great as he is."

"Yo, everyone!" Yoshikid said above the hubbub. "What're we doing—having a picnic and giving greetings when the world's gonna be destroyed in less than thirty days! Let's _go_!"

"Where _are_ we going, anyway?" questioned Watt.

"Ohhh, boy…" said Goombario.

"It's kinda' a long story," Goombella explained. "I'll tell it to you on the way."

"On the way to _what_?" pressed Sushie.

"Just start leading the way, Mario!" Goombario told the plumber. "Me and Goombella will explain it to them."

The party all headed off with Mario in the lead as Goombella began the loooong story about the legend of the Trials. "It's like this: we're trying to find these Four Trials… they're supposedly… one of them is the Pit of the 100 Trials, which Mario already completed…"

The rest of Goombella's words were not heard by any who were listening—if any _were_ listening—as Mario led them to a warp pipe in Rogueport's east side, and they all disappeared as they went into it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A little while later, the same mysterious figure that had just been snooping around the Mushroom Kingdom hopped off the boat that Mario and Goombario had taken earlier. Ignoring the Captain's parting words, the small figure, still wearing its cloak, pattered up the staircase that led to Rogueport's central plaza.

As it headed to Rogueport's east side, it again heard something that caught its interest.

"Stupid Bob-omb! What does he mean opening a door on me like that?! I would've been able to get rid of that Goomba and beat Mario if it weren't for him!" came the angry, high-pitched voice.

The figure saw Jr. Troopa looking around. So, another person who despised that plumber! This was interesting… perhaps he could be of some use… The cloaked figure pattered over to the walking egg, its feet moving in its usual quick motion.

"So… you hate that fat plumber too?" it asked in its squeaky voice.

"Do I hate him? Ha! He's the most annoying person in the world! Thinks he's such a big-shot," replied Jr. Troopa. "What's it to you, anyway? It's not like _you'd_ know anything about it." Jr. Troopa began to walk away to find Mario.

"Oh, well… It's too bad that _I_ know how to get even with him," said the figure carelessly. "But, since you're obviously not interested, I'll just be on my way."

Jr. Troopa turned back around. "Hey, wait! You got my entriest… or—or… however you say it! What's this special way that I can use to get back at him, huh?!"

The figure smiled craftily to itself. "Follow me. If you join with Papa, he'll help you!" Jr. Troopa followed. Bowser Jr. grinned mischievously to himself and added under his breath, "Or _you'll_ help _him_! Hehehe_hee_!"

_To be continued…_


End file.
